When Australia opened its borders to overseas visitors, Singapore-based trainer Stephen Gray jumped at the chance to head to Melbourne.

Gray arrived in Melbourne on Monday to start inspections of yearlings for the upcoming sale at Oaklands but also took the time to see his sprinter Oxley Road who runs in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Prepared by Peter Moody, Gray had not seen the now four-year-old for two years because of travel restrictions brought about by COVID.

“He looks magnificent. He’s grown into a lovely horse,” Gray said.

Oxley Road will be lining up for his ninth start on Saturday having registered three wins and three minor placings from his previous eight starts.

The four-year-old is a winner at Group 3 and Group 2 level and rising to Group 1 grade on Saturday sees him with a nice weight drop after a first-up second to Marine One in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on February 12.

“I know there was a bit of controversy with the track, and you could see it was better off the fence, but I thought the horse did well,” Gray said.

“He’d had only one jump out and Peter was blaming the track, but I thought the weight was just as big an influence.

“He was badly weighted last time, and we drop from 59 kilos to 52-½ this time.”

Gray has had considerable success in Singapore over a long period after starting out in New Zealand.

And while it will be a big thrill to see Oxley Road going around in the Oakleigh Plate, he is more looking forward to seeing his colours run in a Group 1 race in Australia.

“At the end of the day, I’m just rapt that we bought a nice horse that has turned out to be a pretty fast horse with a good pedigree, but we get to see our blue and gold checks going around in a Group 1 race during the autumn carnival at Caulfield,” he said.